Notice2026-11008
Agency Information Collection Activities; Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit Applications and Reports-Native Endangered and Threatened Species
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 105 (Tuesday, June 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32995-32998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11008]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2026-1124; FXES111609C0000-267-FF09E41000; OMB
Control Number 1018-0094]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Federal Fish and
Wildlife Permit Applications and Reports--Native Endangered and
Threatened Species
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an
information collection with revisions.
DATES: Comments will be accepted on or before August 3, 2026. Comments
submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see
ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the
closing date. To ensure your comment is received and considered, you
must submit it using one of the methods identified in the ADDRESSES
section of this document. Comments submitted through any method not
authorized in this document, or sent to an address not listed here,
will not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Comment submission: All submissions must include the docket
number [FWS-HQ-ES-2026-1124] for this document. You must submit
comments using one of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal at:
https://
[[Page 32996]]
www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-HQ-ES-2026-1124,
which is the docket number for this action. Then click the Search
button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by clicking on
``Comment.'' Please ensure that you have found the correct document
before submitting your comments.
<bullet> U.S. mail: Service Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2026-1124, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803.
Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this
document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be
considered. We will not accept comments via email, fax, or hand
delivery. We are not required to consider comments that are submitted
after the comment period ends or that are submitted via a method
outside of these instructions. Comments containing profanity,
vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate content will not be
considered. We will post all comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madonna Baucum, Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5f16313930001c3033331f39282c71383029"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c980a7afa6968aa6a5a589afbebae7aea6bf">[email protected]</span></a>, or by
telephone at (703) 358-2503. Individuals who are hearing or speech
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY
assistance. You may also view the information collection request (ICR)
at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide
the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to
comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It
also helps the public understand our information collection
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are soliciting comments from the public and other Federal
agencies on the proposed ICR described below. We are especially
interested in public comments addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personally identifiable information in your comment,
you should be aware that your entire comment--including your personally
identifiable information--may be publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personally identifiable
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Abstract: The Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
provides a means to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and
threatened species depend, to provide a program for the conservation of
these endangered and threatened species, and to take the appropriate
steps that are necessary to bring any endangered or threatened species
to the point where measures provided for under the ESA are no longer
necessary. Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA authorizes us to issue
permits for otherwise prohibited activities in order to enhance the
propagation or survival of the affected species. Section 10(a)(1)(B) of
the ESA authorizes us to issue permits if the taking is incidental to
the carrying out of an otherwise lawful activity. ESA section 10(d)
requires that such permits be applied for in good faith and, if
granted, that the permit not operate to the disadvantage of endangered
species, and that the permit be consistent with the purposes of the
ESA.
Our regulations implementing the ESA are in chapter I, subchapter B
of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR; 50 CFR parts 13
and 17). The regulations stipulate general and specific requirements
that, when met, allow us to issue permits to authorize activities that
are otherwise prohibited. Upon receipt of a complete application, the
Director may issue a permit authorizing any activity otherwise
prohibited by Sec. 17.21, in accordance with the issuance criteria of
this section, for scientific purposes, for enhancing the propagation or
survival, or for the incidental taking of endangered wildlife. Such
permits may authorize a single transaction, a series of transactions,
or a number of activities over a specific period of time. (See Sec.
17.32 for permits for threatened species.)
We collect information associated with application forms to
determine the eligibility of applicants for permits requested in
accordance with the criteria in section 10 of the ESA. The Service uses
the following permit application forms for activities associated with
native endangered and threatened species:
<bullet> Form 3-200-54, Enhancement of Survival Permits Associated
with Conservation Benefit Agreements;
<bullet> Form 3-200-56, Incidental Take Permits Associated with a
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP);
<bullet> Form 3-200-59, Scientific, Enhancement of Propagation, or
Survival (i.e., Purposeful Take for Recovery); and
<bullet> Form 3-200-60, Interstate Commerce.
Annual reporting of the results subsequent to the activity
authorized by the permit is required in most cases (under the authority
of section 10(a)(1)(A) and 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA and its implementing
regulations at 50 CFR part 17). These reports allow us to evaluate the
success of the project, formulate further research, and develop and
adjust management and recovery plans for the species. We currently use
the following reports specific to particular species (and regions,
where appropriate):
<bullet> Form 3-202-55a, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Southwestern Bat Reporting Form;
<bullet> Form 3-202-55b, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Midwestern Bat Reporting Form;
<bullet> Form 3-202-55c, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Southeastern Bat Reporting Form;
<bullet> Form 3-202-55d, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Northeastern Bat Reporting Form; and
<bullet> Form 3-202-55e, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Plains/Rockies Bat Reporting Form.
<bullet> Form 3-202-55f, Non-Releasable Sea Turtle Annual Report;
and
<bullet> Form 3-202-55g, Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Annual Report.
<bullet> Form 3-2523, Midwest Geographic Area: Freshwater Mussel
Reporting Form;
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<bullet> Form 3-2526, Midwest Geographic Area: Bumble Bee Reporting
Form;
<bullet> Form 3-2530, California/Nevada/Klamath Basin, OR Recovery
Permit Annual Summary Report Form;
<bullet> Form 3-2532, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Alaska Bat Reporting Form;
<bullet> Form 3-2533, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Northwestern Bat Reporting Form; and
<bullet> Form 3-2534, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Western Bat Reporting Form.
Annual reporting of the results subsequent to the activity
authorized by the permit is required in most cases (under the authority
of section 10(a)(1)(A) and section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA and its
implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 17). The Service designed the
forms to facilitate the electronic reporting specifically for each
species. The Service will use the reported data to evaluate the success
of the permitted project, formulate further research, and develop and
adjust management and recovery plans for the species. The data will
also inform 5-year reviews and Species Status Assessments (SSA)
conducted under the ESA.
Additionally, we require that the following notifications be made
to the Service:
<bullet> Private landowners who have an enhancement of survival
permit (and accompanying safe harbor agreement or candidate
conservation agreement with assurances) must notify us if their land
management activities incidentally take a listed or candidate species
covered under their permit.
<bullet> We issue enhancement of survival permits to landowners,
and their name is printed on the permit. If ownership of the land
changes, this permit does not automatically transfer to the new
landowner. Therefore, we ask the permittee to notify us if there is a
change in land ownership so that we may update the permit; and
<bullet> If a recovery or interstate commerce permit authorizes
activities that include keeping wildlife in captivity, we ask the
permittee to notify us if any of the captive wildlife escape.
Proposed Revisions
1. We propose to split this collection into two collections. The
original Control No., 1018-0094, will retain the Incidental Take Permit
and Enhancement of Survival Permit application forms and their
associated reporting and notification requirements. We will ask OMB to
approve a new control number for the Recovery Permit and Interstate
Commerce Permit application forms and their associated reporting forms.
The new control number will contain the collection of information
to inform the development of SSAs and recovery plans as developed under
Section 4(f) of the ESA. There are no forms associated with this
collection. We are required to use the best scientific and commercial
data available when reviewing a species' status under the ESA and when
developing recovery plans. This new collection will include the new
information collections listed below:
a. When developing a new or revised SSA to inform a recovery plan,
we send out a request to external partners asking for information
related to the species' scientific information, which could include,
but is not limited to, the species' current or historical range,
distribution, occurrence data, information on potential stressors, or
past, on-going, or planned activities, including specific projects or
conservation efforts, within the species' range.
b. Once the SSA is complete, the draft SSA report undergoes peer
and technical review to increase the quality and credibility of our
science and ensure we base our decisions on the best information
available.
c. When developing a new or revised draft recovery plan, we send
out a request to external partners asking for information related to
current threats to the species, ongoing beneficial management efforts,
or potential recovery actions.
d. As required by Section 4(f)(4) of the Act, we provide public
notice and an opportunity for public review and comment on draft
recovery plans. We publish a report on ECOS and ask for information
from the public that could include, but is not limited to, current
threats to the species, ongoing beneficial management efforts, and the
costs associated with implementing the recommended recovery actions.
2. Form 3-2526, ``Bumble Bee Reporting Form''--We propose the
following revisions to Form 3-2526 to:
a. Reflect simplified protocols and methods of detection, as
detailed in the voluntary document titled ``Technical Assistance for
Surveyors and Researchers'' (available at <a href="https://www.fws.gov/media/survey-and-monitoring-technical-assistance-rusty-patched-bumble-bee">https://www.fws.gov/media/survey-and-monitoring-technical-assistance-rusty-patched-bumble-bee</a>).
b. Update the ``Instructions'' worksheet, in general, to reflect
simplified data collection needs as well as updating the worksheet tabs
to reflect simplified data-collection needs.
c. Replace the ``Primary Information'' worksheet with a new ``Site
Data'' worksheet. All fields will remain; however, we will add a column
for ``Field Observer'' and will move the following fields--previously
located in the ``Effort and Area'' worksheet--into this worksheet:
``Sampling Unit Location (centroid latitude),'' ``Sampling Unit
Location (centroid longitude),'' and ``Area of Sampling Unit.'' We will
also add a new field, ``Percentage of Sampling Unit in Bloom.''
d. Replace the ``Effort and Area'' and ``Bee Abundance'' worksheets
with a new ``Bee Survey Data'' worksheet. This new worksheet will
remove several extraneous fields and will add the fields ``Method of
Detection'' and ``Specimen Number,'' the latter of which will help
surveyors track multiple specimen photographs if needed. The dropdown
list for the ``Bumble Bee Species'' field will include corrected
species names.
e. Simplify the ``Habitat Data'' worksheet to include only
``Dominant Habitat Type'' and the option fields ``Management History,''
``Sampling Unit Condition,'' ``Floral Resource,'' ``Floral Resource
Abundance Category,'' and two fields capturing observed Bombus presence
on noted floral resources.
f. Remove the ``Detailed Habitat Assessment'' and ``Photographs''
worksheets. Photographs required for species verification will be
submitted separately by permittees (e.g., in a zipped folder) and will
no longer be embedded in the worksheet.
g. Rename the ``Printable Survey Forms'' worksheet to ``Example
Field Data Sheet.'' We will also revise the example data sheet to
reflect the updated data-collection needs described in the ``Technical
Assistance for Surveyors and Researchers'' document (available at
<a href="https://www.fws.gov/media/survey-and-monitoring-technical-assistance-rusty-patched-bumble-bee">https://www.fws.gov/media/survey-and-monitoring-technical-assistance-rusty-patched-bumble-bee</a>).
h. Add a ``Definitions'' worksheet to explain each field in each
worksheet and to provide descriptions of the type of data accepted in
each column (e.g., text, whole numbers, dropdown list).
3. Revise Seven Existing Forms:
a. Form 3-202-55b, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Midwestern Bat Reporting Form'';
b. Form 3-202-55c, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Southeastern Bat Reporting Form'';
c. Form 3-202-55d, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Northeastern Bat Reporting Form'';
d. Form 3-202-55e, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic
Area: Plains/Rockies Bat Reporting Form'';
e. Form 3-2532, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic Area:
Alaska Bat Reporting Form'';
[[Page 32998]]
f. Form 3-2533, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic Area:
Northwestern Bat Reporting Form''; and,
g. Form 3-2534, ``U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Geographic Area:
Western Bat Reporting Form''
The revisions include the addition of two new worksheets: one for
reporting hibernacula survey results and another for documenting banded
bats encountered during those surveys. These additions were made to
address a recurring issue in which surveyors were submitting
hibernacula data within the roost tree worksheet. That worksheet was
not designed to capture such information, resulting in data
inconsistencies and processing challenges. While these changes will
affect a relatively small number of surveyors, they resolve a
significant data management issue.
4. Form 3-200-59, ``Recovery Permit Application Form''--The form
will be revised to:
a. Clarify instructions for completing the form and distinguishing
between new, renewal, and amended permit applications;
b. Add required information for business applicants;
c. Clarify questions in ``Specific Relevant Activity'' section,
including highlighting required questions frequently missed, clarifying
questions on take;
d. Provide examples of requested tables for submission of
information; and,
e. Numerous other minor clarifying edits.
5. Form 3-200-56, ``Incidental Take Permits with Habitat
Conservation Plans''--This form will be revised to:
a. Update types of supporting materials accepted;
b. Provide clarified language on fees associated with new, renewal,
or amendments of permits;
c. Clarify language describing the required HCP that must be
submitted in association with this permit application form; and
d. Finalize numerous minor clarifying edits.
The public may request copies of any form contained in this
information collection by sending a request to the Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer (see ADDRESSES).
Existing Collection
Title of Collection: Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit Applications
and Reports--Native Endangered and Threatened Species; 50 CFR parts 10,
13, and 17.
OMB Control Number: 1018-0094.
Form Numbers: 3-200-54 and 3-200-56.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals; private sector; and
State/local/Tribal governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1,941.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,941.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 30 minutes to
2,080 hours, depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 205,640.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion, annually, one time.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $19,359,100 for fees
associated with permit applications and amendments.
Proposed New Collection
Title of Collection: Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit Applications
and Reports--Native Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery; 50 CFR
parts 10, 13, and 17.
OMB Control Number: 1018-NEW.
Form Numbers: 3-200-59, 3-200-60, 3-202-55a through 3-202-55g, 3-
2523, 3-2526, 3-2530, and 3-2532 through 3-2534.
Type of Review: New.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals; private sector; and
State/local/Tribal governments.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 5,959.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,959.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 30 minutes to 8
hours, depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 14,450.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion, annually, one time.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $56,360 for fees
associated with permit applications and amendments.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-11008 Filed 6-1-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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